Stress Not.

It ages us, keeps us up at night, puts us on edge, and frankly it’s unavoidable. It’s that pesky little thing called stress. Whether you spend your day chasing around little ones, work a 9 to 5, or anything in between, stressors are always just around the corner. Even though we can’t escape them, I do think there are things we can do to help minimize them. Stress relief isn’t a once size fits all, but I’ve listed out a couple of things I do to bring the calm back into my life:

• Write (or talk) it out. It’s probably not a big shocker that writing is the fastest way for me to relieve stress. Unfortunately, I’m not always the best at vocalizing the way that I’m feeling, but putting pen to paper allows me to empty myself of the worries of the day and allow space for joy. If writing isn’t your thing, phone a friend and allow yourself to be encouraged by the people who love you.

• Work it out. Take a walk. Hit the weights. Go for a run. Knock around a punching bag…whatever your heart desires, just get your heart rate up and break a sweat. It’s a great (and healthy) way to get rid of some of those bad feelings and burn some calories.

• Set aside time. Set aside 5-10 minutes every day to just take time and just be still. Whether you want to use this time to spend in prayer, deep breathing, meditation, or even make something pretty in an adult coloring book…just be still.

• Take a bubble bath. Bath Bombs are all the rage right now, and for good reason…they are delightful. At the end of a stressful day, there are few things that sound better to me than a hot bubble bath and a great book.

• Make a drink. Whether it’s hot tea, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine, make a drink and just relax. Head out to your front porch or decompress in front of your favorite TV show. Just decide to give yourself the time it takes to finish your drink to rest and enjoy the moment you’re in.

Life isn’t easy and stress will always be there, but it doesn’t have to be the thing that dictates every area of your life. Take time to care for yourself, so that you’re able to be the best version of who you are.

-Rachel Lovejoy